Hello! My name is Carol Bennetto, creator of OtterEd.
Otters have been my passion for as long as I can remember: when I was about 8 years old, my father and I watched the otters on a river in Wiltshire (UK). One day, the Otter Hunt (which was legal at that time) came through the area, and that was the last time my father and I saw “our” otters. I remember that day vividly, and it was on that day that I decided to do all I could to protect otters.
I am now retired, but I spent many years working in education and retail management at a wildlife park, which included creating otter awareness material and designing otter related merchandise for the shop.
I have been volunteering as Education Outreach Coordinator for the IUCN/SSC Otter Specialist Group since 2011. I also assist other otter and wildlife conservation organizations, managing and developing educational outreach campaigns. These include the African Otter Network, the UK Wild Otter Trust and the Green Mountain Initiative (in Uganda).
Over the years I have created a wide variety of educational material for each of the world’s 13 species of otter. This website aims to make these resources available to a wider audience, and my hope is that you will download and make use of anything on here that is of interest to you. I also opened an Etsy shop, “ottershopper” – it would be great if you could swing by and visit it, since all profits from sales will be used to support global otter conservation projects.
The world’s otters need all the help that they get. Please join me in working to ensure their continued survival.
2023 Update – OtterEd is now hosting all the Otter Education Advisory Group material!
Otter Education Advisory Group
The Otter Education Advisory Group is an Education Group supported under the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Conservation Education Committee and associated with the AZA Small Carnivore Taxon Advisory Group. The Otter Education Advisory Group is composed of zookeepers and educators from animal facilities around the United States, dedicated to providing resources to inspire zoos and aquariums to promote an active enthusiasm for otter conservation and education through facility promoted community engagement.
The group is currently staffed with 16 members. We are separated into 4 species specific specialty groups. Each group focuses on creating materials related to their specific species.
The species included under this advisory group are: North American river otters (Lontra canadensis), Asian small-clawed otters (Aonyx cinereus), giant otters (Pteronura brasiliensis) and the spotted-necked otter (Hydrictis maculicollis)